Extraordinary Realm from Persuasion System

The water in the lake wasn't like the water in an indoor swimming pool, which is constantly at a comfortable temperature, sometimes even with a warm current. The artificial lake at Shi University was built quite deep, making its water feel very cool to the touch. Even with Zhang Beixing's abundant Qi and Blood, staying in it for a long time was somewhat unbearable.

With that thought in mind, Zhang Beixing returned to the small grove and retrieved the bag he had left there earlier. As for his wet clothes, he was too lazy to change them now. Soaked to the bone, he headed straight back to Dorm 203.

Upon entering, Zheng Jituo turned his head, took one look, and exclaimed, "Holy shit, a drowned ghost!"

"Fuck off!" Zhang Beixing retorted irritably, then tossed his backpack onto a stool.

He dashed into the bathroom, took a lightning-fast shower, washed his clothes at lightning speed, and jumped into bed.

Then... ZZZ... HMPH... ZZZ...

Soon, the sound of Zhang Beixing's steady breathing filled the air.

For a moment, the three remaining occupants of Dorm 203 looked at each other, an awkward silence descending upon the room.

After a short while, Jin Linyu finally broke the silence. "Lao Zhang was so quick... I bet School Beauty Chen, Sister Qi, and that Sophia Zhou from the Normal University are all feeling pretty frustrated, huh?"

Zheng Jituo: "???"

Dong Guoning: "???"

This guy's mind is in the gutter! they both thought.

「The next morning.」

Zhang Beixing woke up feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. After getting a preliminary grasp of Hidden Force, Life was really looking up!

He walked out to the balcony and felt his clothes. He found that apart from the load he'd put in the washing machine last night and forgotten to take out, his other clothes were dry. Just enough for him to wear today.

He quickly packed the dry clothes into his bag, then took the wet clothes out of the washing machine and hung them up.

Bag slung over his shoulder, Zhang Beixing headed out, planning to grab a bite to eat before starting his exercises.

It was on his way to the cafeteria that Zhang Beixing ran into Sophia Zhou, who had just finished her morning workout and was also heading there for breakfast.

Seeing Zhang Beixing, Sophia Zhou's pretty face flushed a faint red, and her eyes darted around, as if something had just occurred to her.

After a moment's thought, she walked over to him. "Um... Beixing, thank you so much for yesterday. If it weren't for you, I might have been in serious trouble!"

"Hey, it was nothing, just lending a hand," Zhang Beixing waved dismissively, implying that helping a friend was the right thing to do.

Hearing this, Sophia Zhou nodded. She then lowered her head and walked beside Zhang Beixing, looking at her phone with a thoughtful expression.

Sophia Zhou's quietness was a bit unsettling for Zhang Beixing, who was used to her usual lively demeanor.

So, he asked, "Sophia, what's wrong? You don't seem to be in a very good mood today."

"Uh... I wouldn't say I'm in a bad mood, not really. It's just that I saw something quite interesting." Sophia Zhou shook her head, indicating it wasn't her mood, then held up her phone. "Today, while browsing the Shi University online forum, I noticed a new post about a paranormal incident at Shi University."

"A paranormal incident at Shi University? So, you're interested in that kind of stuff?" Zhang Beixing asked, curious.

I really didn't see that coming. Sophia Zhou actually believes in ghosts and spirits?

Of course, it wasn't that he didn't believe in them himself. He did, but only in the ones that were beneficial to him. As for those that weren't... to hell with feudal superstitions!

Hearing Zhang Beixing's question, Sophia Zhou shook her head and stated firmly, "I'm not interested!"

"Not interested? Then why are you looking at it?"

"Because I think this paranormal incident... might actually be real!" Sophia Zhou said with a completely serious expression.

At her words, Zhang Beixing was momentarily stunned. He tilted his head, looking at Sophia Zhou with utter disbelief. "WTF???"

Seriously, girl, do you even hear yourself? I know you can be gullible, but not *this* gullible, surely? You actually believe these ghost stories and even say they might be real?

"Are you being serious, or are you just joking with me?" Zhang Beixing stopped, looking intently at Sophia Zhou. "If it's a joke, I have to say it's a pretty lame one. But if you're serious... well, I'd call that quite the feat!" He delivered this with a sarcastic edge, scrutinizing her expression for any sign she was kidding.

Unfortunately for him, after observing her for a long moment, Zhang Beixing could detect nothing but earnestness on Sophia Zhou's face.

Noticing this, the corner of Zhang Beixing's mouth twitched.

Sophia Zhou, however, ignored Zhang Beixing's sarcastic remarks and repeated with a serious expression, "I believe this paranormal incident might be real."

"Because, last night, I... I was the victim of this paranormal incident!"

Recalling the nightmarish experience from the previous night, Sophia Zhou involuntarily closed her eyes, a pained expression crossing her face. The ordeal had left a huge psychological impact on her. Her sleep had been filled with those horrifying images: a black, bobbing head... the churning lake water... Even now, the mere thought of it made her feel like she was suffocating! If Zhang Beixing hadn't rescued her in the end, she couldn't bear to imagine what might have happened.